I really like the idea of everything having a purpose, rather than just being filler. Games that try to do this are right up my alley. With that in mind I have a number of ideas for creatures that can be harvested for crafting materials to make new items. Some of them have traits that could be interchangeable depending what the designers want in terms of keeping to the game’s theme.
A slime monster, worm, or other creature that spits gobs of slime that hinder the player’s movement temporarily. This could either be a puddle or glob that stays on the ground temporarily, that will slow down or stick the player in place, or an effect like the player is coated with the slime. When killed, the creature can be harvested to obtain this slime as a crafting ingredient. It could be used as an adhesive in other recipes, and/or to make a weapon, bomb, and/or trap with the same movement hindering effect the creature’s spit has.
An arachnid style creature. Doesn’t have to be a spider, Doesn’t even have to have 8 legs. Just arachnid themed. Could even be more like a Hellbug from Defiance. These creatures could spit webbing with a hindering effect like the previous slime creature, or construct webs on the terrain. These webs would hinder player movement, and catch other small animals in them. This would open up lots of different choices for the player.
A) Leave the webs alone and harvest the animals that get caught in them as a food source. Also good for slowing down the approach of enemies around your base (plus it would look damn cool to live in a web covered wasteland if that’s your thing ) This could even lead to players encouraging these creatures to populate the area around their base so they produce more webbing.
B) Harvest the webs to use as a crafting ingredient (could make silk-like fabric, ropes, netting, a basic adhesive, etc)
C) Kill the spiders to harvest ingredients that only drop from them. Could be the silk producing sac, or carapace for making spider themed armors/weapons maybe, or even spider eyes if there’s going to be some kind of alchemy system. Lots of possibilities here.
I’m sure there’s plenty of other ways it could play out that you guys can add to this list.
A spined creature based on a porcupine or hedgehog. These spines would be harvestable for crafting things such as armors that damage attackers when you are hit, projectile tips, spiked defensive structures, traps or bombs that shoot the spines when detonated, perhaps hollowed and used as needles for medical supplies or poison delivery on projectiles even.
These creatures would roll into a ball when threatened, and damage anything that attacks them from melee range or bumps into them. This could lead to interesting strategies like leading more dangerous monsters to a pack of the “porcupines” and using them to soften it up a bit so it’s easier for the player to take down, or breeding a bunch in a pit trap so they damage players or monsters that fall in.
THIS is the kind of sandbox creature ideas we need more of! Interesting behaviors and interactions that can lead to more interesting or innovative game play!
How about a creature that eats glimmer and then it begins to glow. It would then produce a bioluminescent material, either on death or it could be something it produces (like silk)
Here’s a rough idea,
I was thinking about a creature that burrows deep into the ground like chipmunks or squirrels. Except these ones can dig caverns for us to explore and find raw materials. This type of creature only digs through dirt and stone.
To me, these can be the natural underground caves that would be refilled through the world regeneration system.
Sandbox creature ideas need a behavior or game mechanic that would be interesting to interact with. Concept creatures without sandbox behaviors belong in off topic or, if it’s boundless concept art, creations.
I once came up with the idea of monkeys stealing items from you. Not supposed to steal them out of your pouch, or deconstruct your builds. Rather a quick assault on your freshly mined goods which lay on the ground in item cube form. They are supposed to snatch away some of those cubes and run off into safety. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a monkey creature, could also have a different appeal.
It’s an older idea. But maybe I can figure out a better one.
Also an older idea … I once had the idea for invisible creatures, which almost are recognizable by sound only. Originally it was inspired by a Terry Pratchett novel (Carpet People). Assuming we had dense grass on the ground, and you walk around and suddenly hear a high pitched sneeze. You look around and hear it again until you found the origin of the sound: Every time you hear a sneeze there could be tiny grass voxel leaves bursting around at that very position. Nothing more. Mysterious creatures dwelling in the lawn.
How about some ticks for those beautiful forests of B<?
Those could be small creatures that sit on the bottom side of tree foliage and drop themselves onto players that stand still. Once they hit you they´d stick to your character and continuously drain health from it until they eventually kill you. In order to get rid of a tick you would have to dive into water or jump around several times if there is no water nearby.
Sounds a Agony Beetle would fit into your tick-idea ^^ …
The Agony Beetle is a psionic insect from Athas (the Dark Sun Campaign-Setting of AD&D ) that attaches itself to the neck or the spine of a living creature to inject pain into the central nerve system. Through this the victim/prey feels the most possible torment which feeds the beetle (it creates psionic energy of it). It continues with this until the prey is dead (most people run into walls with head infront to end the pain or try killing themself on other ways) or it is removed (but often the victim is faster with its efforts).
Bat/Wyvern like creature found on cave ceilings in systems containing gleam deposits. They become aggressive upon hearing any interaction with the gleam (walking, mining, etc).
Live and attack in small packs, 3-5.
If left alone they will consume the gleam at a very slow rate (less than one block/24hrs). Their skins or wings can be used to wrap tools and weapons to give make them a small light source.
Understand.
Are u ingame right now? Think I want to wander around your world a little. But I don’t play that much and when I play, I’m always torn to build up this gleam temple or gleam oasis of mine. I want to bring it to an inviting place to visit. Or at least useful for collecting gleam.
How bout a phoenix type creature that when killed turns to dust then rises again. In order to defeat it you would have to quickly pull out your torch and light the remains of the slain phoenix-creature on fire. I’d also say it wouldn’t be a fire phoenix as that would defeat the lighting on fire thing. Another idea is that if it is a traditional fire phoenix maybe have it so that when you set the remains on fire it becomes your friend and will help you as a sort of combat pet.
) This could even lead to players encouraging these creatures to populate the area around their base so they produce more webbing.
